… H-hi? So sorry I disappeared, the semester kicked my ass! (Grad school is pretty much like its reputation.) And I got a part time job, and had my first school breakdown and then life and blah and more feelings and blah. Basically a bunch of excuses left me in no mood to write, until I made myself write. So I did. I made it longer, as meager attempt to apologize… m(_ _)m Thanks for waiting! (Also, funnily enough, whenever I think about updating, I get a new review. Are you psychic?)

On the bright side… Let the ridiculousness begin! I take responsibility for nothing… *runs away*

– – – – – – – –

Chapter 12: Complication

After what felt like hours of howling wind, moist breathing and pretending to be a rock, Maemi was quite exhausted from sitting as still as she could. Not that she was uncomfortable against Kakashi's chest, she just didn't want to start feeling comfortable. When the wind finally died down and the remaining sand floated to the ground, Kakashi let go of her shoulders and briefly shook himself off before turning slightly and stretching out his legs, his shoulder bumping Maemi's.

She took it as a sign she could take the cloth from her face and breathe fresh air. She'd never get over that wonderful luxury. She spit out whatever sand she could from her gritty mouth and ran a hand through her hair and patted herself down slowly, taking her sweet time turning around to delay facing his wrath.

Eventually though… "What were you thinking, running off into a sandstorm like that?" His voice was restrained but definitely shook with anger. Maemi felt a distant twinge in her stomach, a feeling she recognized too well from watching Tsuneko do too many stupid things: worry.

Her mouth opened, then closed. He was worried about her. She tried swallowing and pushed some sand down. "I- the plushie..." she said weakly.

Kakashi half turned, his shoulder pressing into hers, which wasn't even adequate distraction from his mighty judgmental look. Maemi averted her gaze quickly. "It's- I-" Mumbling was not her forte. She sighed. "I'm sorry..."

"You could've died out here." His voice was still full of authority but in a soft, regret-inducing tone.

"I couldn't not get it. It brought me here, what if it took me home?" Then it hit her. Of course he was worried, he didn't want to die.

"What's done is done. Come on, let's try to find the others." He stood up, and Maemi found herself, quite literally, drawn to Kakashi. Before she knew it, she was standing next to him – uncomfortably close – her arm stuck against his. Kakashi paused, his flak jacket open with the remaining sand falling out.

Maemi tried removing her arm, which was seemingly glued to his for no apparent reason. It refused to budge no matter how she struggled to remove it. She tried stepping away (she couldn't), then attempted pulling her arm with all her strength, to no avail. "Wha-"

Kakashi, not oblivious to the arm suddenly attached to his, looked over his shoulder, confused. "What are you doing?"

"I'm not-" Again, she pulled her arm away with all her strength until she felt she might pop her shoulder, and still, her arm wouldn't budge. She stared at her arm in confused horror.

"We really don't have time for this..."

Did he just sigh? "You try it then!"

Kakashi, clearly not understanding how hard it was to take an arm away, simply stepped forward, expecting the end of that. Except Maemi followed, despite not having taken a step. She was still standing slightly behind him, stabilizing from this weird pulling movement, but her arm was unfortunately still there. "Hmm."

"'Hmm' ain't gonna cut it damnit! What the fuck!?" She kept struggling to get her arm back through various means – sitting down abruptly, resulting in a hilariously sprawled human figurine, putting both feet against his and briefly cheering until she realized their feet were now stuck together, or finding a decently sized rock to grip while pulling their separate way. Nothing worked. "Get your feet away!"

"You're the one who's pulling!" Not that he should let his temper get the better of him, but really, she was hoisting herself onto a rock, and he strangely found himself dragged in the sand after her. She shouldn't be capable of this.

When the others found them, Maemi still held onto a rock, mightily cursing out Kakashi as seemed to be the new normal. "Well, at least we know they're fine..." said Yamato, crossing his arms on his chest. "… Care to tell us what you're doing?" Everyone else looked as confused as him and clearly expected an explanation.

Maemi pointedly kept staring out into the vast desert, still clinging onto the rock half beneath her. He could answer that, and he should.

Kakashi sighed yet again. "It seems we have a new complication..." He stood up, eliciting a yelp from Maemi as she found herself snapped into place against his arm. Again. The others stared at them in stunned silence.

"Complication is a mild way to put it, senpai."

"Agreed." Maemi shot Kakashi a dirty look, as if this was his fault.

Temari interrupted the unfurling drama. "Great, new seating arrangements. Let's go before another storm rolls in." She turned to face Sai, who wasted no time in summoning the birds. The earlier they left the desert, the happier he'd be.

Once the supplies were gathered and secured, everyone jumped on. Yamato took Maemi's spot behind Sai, leaving the unlikely pair a bird to themselves. Kakashi made to jump on, but paused. He grabbed Maemi's hand and jumped on with her to avoid dragging her behind. Amidst her mumbled protests, the birds wasted no time gathering height and speed.

Maemi hadn't moved an inch since they'd left the ground, and her legs increasingly felt like lead. Her shoulders were starting to cramp, not to mention her hands, trying desperately to hang on to the bird's smooth back. What's it made of anyway, paper?

"You can relax, you know..."

The voice startled her enough that feeling came back to her legs, slowly and prickling painfully. "I hope you can feel this pain..."

Unfortunately for Maemi, Kakashi was close enough to hear her grumbles. "What, the blood rushing back to your legs?" Kakashi took her grunt as confirmation. "Yes, it's there, but muted."

"Like ghost pain?" It took a while to explain what ghost pain was, and why it was so common in her world. By the time she'd finished explaining, she was comfortably seated with her knees to her chest, giving her an anchor around which to wind her arms. She could feel the heat of his back a centimeter away from hers, no doubt the only distance they could manage. Strange as it was, it felt like a steady rock, and even stranger, a comforting one.

They both sat in silence for a while, Maemi lost in thoughts while her eyes looked blankly at their surroundings. A dull ache grew within her at the thought of her home, her parents, her friends… Did anyone even notice I've disappeared? Tsuneko must've, at the very least to get her plushie back… But is the police still looking? How long does it take for a case to be filed as unsolved and rot in archives?

"You miss your home..."

The voice startled her again, even if it was a soft observation, not an accusation. "Yes..." Her throat constricted and her eyes pricked in warning. Kakashi didn't push. The forest came into sight as Maemi's tongue loosened. She talked about her parents and the last time she'd seen them, mentioned the friends and teachers who would've been expecting a visit or phone call, the job hunting she wasn't doing, the jobs she wouldn't try, and the traveling she couldn't do.

Kakashi turned out to be a great listener. He didn't interrupt, but always had the right comment at the right time. He quietly listened to Maemi's choked sobs and forced sniffles, and let her cry without judgment. The pain he felt, although muted, wasn't unfamiliar to him. Different, yes, but not alien in nature or intensity. Once Maemi calmed down enough and he felt her tears had probably dried, he shared one painful memory, vague on details but similar enough to show his understanding.

Their bird began a slow descent between the trees, only to land in a small clearing amidst the group. As usual, the birds disappeared and Sai sat himself at the base of a tree for a short rest. Maemi found herself an unwilling participant in the strategy meeting, but as she literally couldn't leave Kakashi's side…

"We're a day and a half from the village. It'd be best to send a message and have another team meet us on the way back, just in case."

Maemi didn't miss the way Yamato glanced at her for that last comment. "Just in case some other nutjob shows up and nearly succeeds in killing one of us?"

Kakashi sighed. Again. "Extra precautions can't hurt. I'll send Pakkun."

Maemi watched, half in fascination, as Kakashi bit his thumb (and hers) hard enough to draw blood (what even?), said some mumbo jumbo, and poof, a literal dog appeared. "Nice trick..." she muttered to no one. As soon as he appeared, the dog jumped off (can dogs actually jump that high?) and disappeared. "Well, enough hallucinations for one day."

She made to turn around, go find a quiet spot and wait out the hour until Sai came to, but she couldn't actually budge more than a step. With her back to the group, she huffed and she puffed, she strained and she tried, but that second step just wouldn't happen. Panting and sweaty in those stuffy clothes, she turned an accusatory glare to her usual target, who closed his eyes in anticipation and let out yet another sigh.

"What now?"

"Why am I still stuck to you?"

Kakashi blinked almost lazily at her. "How am I supposed to know? I still don't know why we're stuck together in the first place."

Maemi made to retort, but he had a rather valid point. Something she'd never admit to his face, especially in front of a crowd.

"Besides, this is already progress." Maemi looked at his arm in confusion. It was about a foot's length away. "We didn't have this wiggle room before."

"Great. Baby steps." Maemi sank to the floor, and noticed, to her slight disappointment, that her new shadow didn't follow. She was left squatting and staring at a lot of feet, thankfully being spared the many restrained smiles on most faces around her. She tuned out the rest of the meeting involving strategies she couldn't quite comprehend without understanding the underlying basics. She noticed, quite resentfully, that nobody bothered to explain them to her. Not that she'd asked… But would they, even if she did?

Before she knew it, the group split up. She took it as her cue to get up and find a resting spot, so she did. Except she'd forgotten about her shadow and found herself stopped in her tracks when he tried to walk in the opposite direction. Glaring at him over her shoulder, she obstinately took another step forward, aiming for a nice moss-covered rock in the shade of a tree.

Kakashi stumbled slightly behind her. Maemi smirked victoriously. Until he, too, took a step forward.

"Oh come on!" With all her strength, she strained to move forward, even if by an inch, but alas... "Why can't you just go this way?"

"Why can't you just learn to follow?" Kakashi had long lost the habit of following another's lead.

Slight coughs interrupted their little tug of war, and they both realized everyone but Sai was staring at them in a mixture of bewildered amusement, some trying hard to hide their laughter. They both immediately stopped moving and turned away from the crowd, that is, towards each other. Ugh… great… But wait. He's not moving… which means- Maemi turned away at once and nearly ran to the comfortable looking rock, dragging an unwilling Kakashi behind.

This time laughter did erupt at their antics, but she didn't particularly care, although she wondered if her shadow had looked ridiculous while being forcefully moved. Too bad she had no eyes in the back of her head, it could be an enjoyable spectacle. That is, if he didn't return the favor any time soon…

As if he'd read her mind, Kakashi took a step in the opposite direction, but Maemi had already reached the shady spot and now clung to the rock like her life depended on it. The laughter redoubled, but she didn't care. She would not budge! Good luck dragging a rock!

Kakashi indeed had a hard time inching forward. Watching him struggle against invisible bounds proved comical to everyone, except Maemi clinging on for dear life, refusing to give in. She felt the moment he stopped pulling, as if the space between them relaxed, similar to unwinding a rubber band. Grinning despite herself, Maemi couldn't help but gloat. "Giving up?"

"Don't count on it… Yamato-" He waved him over and they began talking in low voices.

But not low enough. Her suspicions were confirmed as soon as Yamato gripped Kakashi's hands and began pulling. Maemi tensed up around her rock immediately. "Cheating! Oh my god that's- cheater!" She felt her fingers begin to falter and slip across the moss. "Sakura! Gimme a hand!"

Sakura ran over and obliged by grabbing both of Maemi's wrists and pulling back. Sakura was stronger than she looked, and Maemi felt the skin on her back tense and stretch uncomfortably, as if duct tape was being ripped off painfully slowly. She bit her lip and held onto Sakura tighter. Maemi could handle a little pain if it got her new shadow more than a foot away from her.

The pulling stretched on and intensified, not only due to exerted strength but by the gazes of the other three group members. Maemi bit her lip until she bled, and still, the pulling didn't stop. Goddamn- ow! Is he immune to pain too? Just as she thought that, Kakashi relented.

"Alright, enough of this..."

Yamato took a few steps back, a slight frown on his face, while Sakura simply released Maemi but remained kneeling in front of her. "Are you okay? You don't look too good..."

"'m okay… Gimme a sec." Maemi breathed as deeply as she could, feeling the tingling (which usually preceded fainting) travel through her veins, from her head to her toes. Kakashi must've felt it too, to some extent, because he sat down right next to her (not like he had a choice) and leaned back against the rock. Eventually, the tingling subsided and her attention switched to her back, which had never felt so sore before. It was like she'd gotten a terrible sunburn and her damaged skin had nearly been ripped clean off her back.

She stared at Kakashi until he could no longer pretend he didn't feel the weight behind it and he turned to look at her. Maemi glared on.

"Well. Now we know physical separation won't happen any time soon."

His "matter-of-fact"ness bugged her. "You're awfully calm about this..." Now that she'd said it, she became aware of a foreign, almost blurry, feeling which made her want to flex all her muscles at once, especially her legs. This urge to run was understandable, considering they were stuck together, although it definitely wasn't hers. Her anger usually manifested verbally by snapping poisonous words.

"Being anything other than calm won't help us think, or get back sooner."

Maemi stared at him with renewed curiosity. She could hear it now, the slight sense of apprehension and bafflement. Oh it was very slight, but it was there alright. Maybe she was the only one able to pick up on it because she had no other choice, but at least, she knew he was truly human – to some extent. "Right. And I guess your pain tolerance being what it is, another bit of skin ripped off is no big deal."

She felt the smile on his face more than she saw his lips move beneath his mask. "I have been through worse, you know."

"I know." The smile was infectious, Maemi's face was split by one before she had time to stop it. She held his gaze expectantly , willing him to utter what he must've realized she wanted now.

Kakashi huffed in amusement. "You- withstood it well..."

"For a weak, normal human? Why thank you!" And for once, there was only a hint of sarcasm. Maemi beamed, grinning proudly. "I am quite good at handling pain you know."

Sakura chuckled at the mimicry.

"Well, if the duo is done performing..." Yamato was nicely settled across from them, in the merciful shadow of a giant tree.

"Like you weren't enjoying it..." mumbled Maemi, settling down against the rock. Kakashi followed suit, and the rest of the hour passed without notable incident.

When Sai woke up, the conversation kept returning to a showdown he'd apparently missed, and Naruto volunteered at once to summarize the whole thing, his voice fluctuating with excitement a bit too often. Shikamaru and Temari had agreed it would be best for everyone but the forced pair to travel by foot, so as to deflect suspicion and, in the worst possible scenario, get them back to safety first. Sai seemed relieved, if only slightly, that he wouldn't need to fly four birds at once and conjured another cloudy looking bird from his scroll.

Strange as it sounded, Maemi was slowly getting used to things popping out of nowhere. Even the speaking dogs didn't seem to surprise her (much) anymore. It wasn't until she was back on the bird, Kakashi sitting back to back with her, guarding the rear while half the group traveled ahead of them, that she noticed a sluggishness to her movements.

"You can sleep if you'd like."

"Hm? No, I'm… I'm alright."

"There's no need to act tough. You're probably feeling the after-effects of spending chakra."

Maemi's brow furrowed. "I don't have any? How could I spend what I don't have? Unless you have a chakra credit card..."

Kakashi ignored the foreign word. "I used chakra when summoning my nin-dogs. Considering we're… a pair, it wouldn't be strange for that to affect you."

Maemi chuckled at his tactful words. "And what a pair!" But she was mumbling now, as if acknowledging her situation somehow summoned the sleepiness forward. She couldn't help herself slumping backwards, against all her better judgment whilst floating on an ink bird, and gave up fighting her heavy eyelids. Kakashi adjusted his back against hers and stilled when he was confident she wouldn't slip.

He glanced at the treetops below and caught flashes of his team speeding towards Konoha. A few more hours, and hopefully this nightmare would end…

– – – –

Tsuneko was beside herself, pacing to and fro in her room. It had barely been 24 hours since Maemi's disappearance, and thoughts wouldn't stop whirling through her mind, wondering how she could ever get her best friend back.

"Tsuneko- come downstairs please."

Giving up her pacing, Tsuneko obliged her mother's call and hastily went to meet her in the living room. Snacks were on the table, along with four cups, and the kettle was boiling in the kitchen. Tsuneko turned a questioning look to her mom, who gave her a strained smile and a soft pat on the arm. "Maemi's mother returned at once. She'll be here soon."

Tsuneko's jittery nerves froze and the air seemed to vanish from her lungs. This was the closest she came to feeling gut-punched. The never ending thoughts paused for a mere second, before roaring back to life mercilessly. Coming here!? Oh my god what am I gonna say! I can't even face myself, how can I even look at her mom? And suddenly her empty stomach felt full, too full. Nausea lapped higher and higher until the vaguely familiar squeezing of queasiness sent her to the bathroom in a hurry.

She'd barely finished heaving when the doorbell rang. In no hurry, Tsuneko flushed her feelings away and rinsed her mouth avidly. When she looked up in the mirror, the face staring her down looked paler than she'd ever seen, which her feverish brow didn't help. She could hear talking, and Maemi's mother's voice was loud and agitated. The foreignness of it all clamped her insides again. I'm responsible... She glared at herself in the mirror. "I caused this..." Although whispered, the accusation was no less true.

Tsuneko left the bathroom at last, walking as slowly as she could muster towards a path she'd never imagine walking. Even before she breached the living room threshold, she could hear the panic die into stupor. It probably wouldn't be long before the stupor gave way to anguish.

As soon as she walked in, familiar eyes fell on her. The look nearly stabbed her. Maemi had her mother's eyes. Maemi's mother stood up at once, ignoring the customary greeting. "Tell me… Tell me everything." Despite having heard her own mother telling her the news (again), Tsuneko obliged. She could see Maemi's mom hanging on to her every word.

"I'm so sorry..."

Seeing Maemi's mother willfully repress tears proved beyond agonizing for Tsuneko. The guilt was eating her from the inside out. The mothers began talking again, and as expected, anguish gained the upper hand. In between sobs and a few hugs, Tsuneko tuned out, wondering why the police hadn't come yet and why nobody else was showing more concern at the highly unusual disappearance of a fresh graduate.

A small (despicable) part of her was glad though, because if people started asking too many questions, they might eventually find out the truth and she couldn't handle anyone else's blame but her own right now. Tsuneko listened as her mother called the police again (was this the third or fourth time?), and explained yet again about a college graduate who disappeared without a trace.

Maybe I can get another plushie... As soon as the thought appeared, she felt invigorated. Of course! What was I thinking! All she had to do was buy another plushie, go back to lady in the semi-suspicious shop and go to the Naruto world herself! Aside from getting lost and the numerous possibilities of getting killed there, it was the most brilliant plan she'd ever had.

No… She had to think carefully about this. If she did manage to go that world, assuming it existed (oh my god listen to yourself, you sound like Mae!), she needed a sure way of getting back.

Slowly, Tsuneko began hatching a plan. She'd be as meticulous as Maemi had been for studying and as careful as Maemi had been about false hopes. The standards were impossibly high, but for Maemi… Tsuneko would try anything.

She couldn't leave now, both mothers would raise a fuss and questions would slow her down, especially in the long term. She had to bide her time and keep playing the part of the broken hearted friend – though that part came quite naturally, as she truly was. She made bullet points on her mental to-do list and kept repeating them over and over, like a soothing mantra, and the world suddenly became calmer and more together. It felt like time had slowed down.

Tsuneko was acutely aware of every passing second, and the mothers' slow anguish was torture. She couldn't help but wonder if she'd disappeared and the tables were turned, would her mom act the same way? Cry as if her heart had been cut out, surviving off fragile yet precious hope, and love like there was no tomorrow? And Tsuneko's heart sank deeper, because she knew her mother would.

Her ticking mind clock stilled. She couldn't leave this world. She wouldn't dare inflict this pain on her mother after seeing first hand the damage she'd already caused. She had to figure out a way to get Maemi back without going into the Naruto world, just in case- just in case there was no way back. The shop lady was her best bet, she had to see her.

– – – –

Kakashi noticed the dropping altitude and wondered if they'd gotten close enough to Konoha to walk the rest of the way. He was about to bend forward slightly to try and glance at a teammate when Maemi shifted, catching him off guard and calling on his shinobi reflexes to stabilize her. She'd been so still the last hour he'd nearly forgotten she was there at all. Thankfully, they were pretty close to the ground when she awoke, so his grip on her shoulder could be interpreted as a nice waking gesture rather than a preventing death move.

The bird landed, and Kakashi hopped off, trying not to judge Maemi's sleepy mumbles and definitely not laughing at her uncoordinated dismount. Yamato, Sai and Sakura were closest and already approaching. Before anyone could get a word in though, an excited shout brought everyone's attention to the jubilant blond.

"They're here!"

Maemi sleepily rubbed her face, trying to dispel the drowsiness. "Who's 'ere?"

Amidst the darkening forest she caught a big white blur and blinked. The blur grew bigger as it approached, followed by three people she couldn't quite yet see. In no time, the new group landed in front of the travelers. Naruto wasted no time in greeting the newcomers, followed by a radiant Sakura and a pleased Shikamaru.

Maemi, on the other hand, just stared at the weird guys. Sunglasses and a hood, on such a warm day? Despite the growing darkness, the sunglasses didn't budge. The other guy could be Mononoke's brother, what with the red streaks on his cheeks and that giant animal as his companion. Is that even a dog? Strangely enough, the last teammate made Maemi feel more at ease just by being female. She seemed normal from the outside as well, long hair (although a tad too purple), the weird but regular shinobi outfit… Yeah, she seemed normal. Probably.

She hung back as the groups caught up and chatted with renewed animosity, probably retelling their tales. Kakashi turning around surprised her. He'd been standing so still next to her she'd forgotten their situation. "Let's get some food." Without waiting, he grabbed a dropped bag and turned his back on the merging groups, pulling her with him.

As nonchalant as he acted, Maemi almost felt like he forced himself. She was, however, grateful he didn't make her meet them. She really didn't feel like telling her story again. Kakashi settled at the base of a tree, a spot Maemi was growing increasingly fond of, and started rummaging in the bag and pulling out wrapped portions of food.

"Thanks." She made sure to briefly meet his eyes this time, with a slight smile.

Kakashi handed her some food and water. "You'll have plenty of explaining to do tomorrow, no need to go through it today." He unwrapped a sandwich and began eating.

A rational explanation, but Maemi was sure he felt her swell of gratitude. She dug in and chewed slowly, half lost in thoughts, half wanting an excuse to avoid speaking.

Temari plopped down in front of them, grabbed some food and began eating with a few vague comments about the trip.

"How long will you stay in Konoha?" Kakashi, like Temari, had just finished eating. Maemi was barely halfway through.

Temari shrugged. "As long as I need. Got a few things to take care of with the whiner over there." She shoved a thumb over her shoulder, but it clearly implied Shikamaru.

Kakashi chuckled. "He might be slow to start, but he does a proper job once he starts."

"Oh I know, I keep telling him to shape up and try harder." She shook her head as if he was a lost cause.

The small talk continued until Maemi paused, fixating on the approaching group. Oh no... She wasn't ready, she didn't want to be gaped or pointed at, or worse, talked to. There was no escape though, she could see the group's intention from the bags they'd grabbed: they were joining them for dinner. She slowed her eating even more, partly to continue avoid talking, partly because she felt queasy.

Thankfully, everyone settled on Kakashi's side and were a fair distance from her. One of the newcomers was as loud as Naruto and apparently shared similar eating habits, but the other two seemed soft spoken and rather polite. Her stomach eased slightly and she took another bite, paying only slight attention to whatever bits of conversation she could catch. Her anxiety eased completely when Kakashi fielded the one question meant for her. She finished her sandwich in peace.

Once dinner was done, Yamato volunteered to magic a house for the night. It didn't even take a minute. "… Ok seriously, what's in his food and can I have some?"

Kakashi chuckled and stood up. "Come on."

It was the smallest house she'd seen yet, not that she was complaining, but it was still comfortable. That is, until Shikamaru decided sleeping arrangements. The teams were used to sharing small spaces and as such, divided into two and took the bigger rooms, leaving the smallest to the fascinating duo. Maemi didn't even protest, the bigger rooms were rather close to each other and she preferred to keep her distance from Naruto. Besides, she wasn't really tired and had no intention of sleeping. Still, this could be a long night…

– – – – – – – –

Thanks for reading (and commenting)! Hope this answered some questions for you, though it probably created new ones… Ah well. I'm flying semi-blind here, and as such could use a beta reader for the next chapters! Comment/PM/tumblr (seriouslydidijustdothat) me if interested. :)